June 15, 2009

MILWAUKEE-- In recognition of their recruiting efforts for the 2009 season, the Marquette volleyball coaching staff's incoming freshman class was given "highest honorable mention" honors by PrepVolleyball.com, ranking them among the top 45 in the nation.

"We are excited about the class we have coming in and about the direction and impact they will have on the future of our program," said head coach Bond Shymansky "It's great to be recognized as good recruiters. Now we need to be great coaches and produce a championship culture within our program."

PrepVolleyball.com honored 30 teams in its class-by-class rankings with only BIG EAST rival Cincinnati being ranked at 29. The "highest honorable mention" category, among which MU was one, was comprised of 15 schools.

Other BIG EAST squads included Notre Dame and Rutgers with "high honorable mention" classes, while Connecticut earned "honorable mention."

On the website, MU's listed recruiting class includes Danielle Carlson (Marshfield, Wis.), Carol Henney (Burlington, Wis.), Ellie Hovda (Wausau, Wis.), Kelsey Mattai (White Bear Lake, Minn.) and Shelly Mueller (Mount Prospect, Ill.). Not included in the website's ranking is incoming freshman defensive specialist Kelsey Warner (Folsom, Calif.).

Former prep all-stars in transfers Nikki Klingsporn (Oakdale, Minn./Univ. of Wisconsin) and Ashley Beyer (Bloomington, Ill./Kishwaukee (Ill.) College) will also join MU for the 2009 season.

Shymansky's 2008 recruiting class at Georgia Tech earned honorable mention recognition and his 2005 haul was ranked eighth in the country by PrepVolleyball.com. This is the first class for Shymansky and assistant coaches Craig Dyer and Michaela Franklin at MU.

The MU recruiting class of 2006, which included current players Leslie Bielski and Hailey Viola, was given "honorable mention" that year, joining this year's group as the only classes to be recognized by PrepVolleyball.com.